Solway Heritage was asked by the River Annan District Salmon Fisheries Board to
research and develop a trail which uses the Atlantic salmon life cycle to provide an enjoyable and informative experience
for recreational visitors to the riverside walk along the River Annan in Hoddom Estate.
The Atlantic
salmon is a celebrated symbol of Scotland and has a fascinating and complex life-history. The salmon’s unusual life
cycle, which involves spawning in clean freshwater gravel beds, followed by a journey down to the sea and then returning as
an adult to spawn in the birth river, is fraught with conservation threats. The project provides wonderful opportunities to
explain conservation issues including pollution, stream obstacles, overfishing and habitat destruction, all factors which
have contributed to salmon declines.
Solway Heritage has produced a proposal to install a series of features
which reveal fascinating facts about the river and are part of the Rivers Annan and Kirtle Habitat Enhancement Project, one
of many supported by the Sulwath Connections Landscape Project.
